Klaroline One-shots & drabbles
by missingstars89
Summary: Just a series of drabbles and one-shots about my favorite pairing. Rated M just in case for future posts. Requests are welcome :)
1. Birthdays

Prompt: Can you write a drabble or oneshot about Klaroline where they were friends but moved to different places but every year they spend their birthdays together because they're in love?

Caroline fought against her eyelids, listening to the soft sound of the rain falling outside and the distant sound of cars and sirens from the city below. She felt the warm touch of her best friend running his fingers gently up and down her arm, his touch leave a warm trail in their wake that caused her to involuntary shiver. She nuzzled her head deeper into the crook of his neck and heard him chuckle softly.

"We should probably get to bed, your flight is rather early," he said in a low voice.

"I can sleep on the plane," she shrugged as she tried to will herself awake.

It was her last day with him until she saw him again for her birthday which wasn't for several months so she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

"You're exhausted sweetheart," he pointed out and she could hear the laughter in his voice. "Running around the city all day will do that to you."

She lifted her head and sat up to look at him and was instantly drawn in by his deep blue eyes that she found herself getting lost in at times. His curls were still a little disheveled from when she had attacked him with his sofa pillows earlier. He had retaliated in turn by tickling her until she surrendered.

Bringing her attention back to his eyes, she could see the amusement but also a hint of sadness in them.

"I don't want the day to be over just yet," she admitted sheepishly and sighed when she felt him bring up a hand to gently stroke the side of her face with his thumb.

"You could always skip your flight and stay a little longer or simply stay here permanently," he said with a sly grin but she could hear the seriousness in his voice.

She tried to roll her eyes playfully and smirked.

"Or you could always move back. I mean what does this cool city have that Mystic Falls doesn't?" she joked. "We have the Mystic Grill, woods, Stefan, and oh, I'm there too," she teased.

"You're there now love but I'm fairly certain that won't be the case for much longer," he answered with a slight shrug.

"Why do you say that?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I know you Caroline and I know that that small town life will not be enough for you," he answered her seriously.

He took her hand in his just then and met her gaze.

"Promise me you'll really consider the possibility of getting out there and seeing the world Caroline, that you won't limit yourself because of fear of what could happen if you leave your comfort zone," he said in a low and almost pleading voice that was unlike him.

"You're not going to drop this until I say yes are you?" she asked with a trace of a smile.

"You've always been very perceptive," he responded with a smirk.

She felt her breath catch when she felt him suddenly lean in and place a soft and chaste kiss on her cheek, causing her to immediately feel herself blush.

"Let me show you the world that's out there love," he continued. "I'll take you anywhere you want."

She looked at him with an incredulous smirk and despite the fact that he was smirking as well, she could see that he was being serious.

"How about we just have some leftover cake for now?" she asked with a small smile, trying to change the subject.

He knew exactly what she was doing but decided he would not push her on this right now knowing it would not achieve anything save get into an argument and that's not something he wanted to risk on her last night with him. He kept hoping that if he brought it up enough, she would eventually consider that there was some truth in his words and come join him. She would never know how desperately he hoped for that.

He tucked a curl behind her ear and let his fingers linger there for a few moments, wanting to feel her as long as possible.

"Alright love," he answered with a dimpled grin.

They spent the next hour sitting on his kitchen counter eating the rest of his birthday cake from the previous night, talking and laughing all the while trying to ignore that clock that reminded them that their time together was coming to a close.

He had moved away two years back and because of their busy schedules, they had managed to work it out so that they visited each other on their birthdays but unfortunately, their schedules didn't allow for them to see each other any other time. Both secretly feared that one year they wouldn't even see each other then.

"I guess we should probably get to sleep now," she said a little grudgingly when she looked at the time a couple of hours later.

He hopped off the counter first and took her hand.

"Thanks for flying out love," he said with a small smile which she returned before wrapping her arms around him and breathing in his warm and musky scent.

She held onto him for a few moments before pulling back and walking with him down the hall that led to the bedrooms. They both stopped in front of the door to the guest bedroom that she was occupying and as they both looked at each other, they knew that neither was ready to say goodnight just yet.

"Want to watch something with me until I fall asleep?" she asked with a hopeful smile that only widened when she saw the amused smirk on his face.

"Get ready for bed, I'll join you in a few minutes," he answered.

While she was getting ready for bed and packing up the last of her things, he went to his room and checked his emails to see if anything work related had come up. On his way out, the picture frame that Caroline had gotten him caught his attention. She had framed a picture of them when they had gone water rafting with Stefan and his siblings. He couldn't fight the smirk on his face as he remembered how both Caroline and Rebekah had been furious upon finding out that he and Stefan had tricked them into going. As he looked at the picture, he felt a pang of nostalgia hit him as he realized how much he missed doing things like this with them, particularly Caroline.

Remembering that she was probably waiting for him, he made his way to her room and saw her sitting in the large bed with the remote in her hands, flipping through the channels. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the way her face lit up when she saw him enter the room.

He slipped out of his shoes and slipped into bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her while he felt her rest her head against his chest. He wasn't sure what they were watching but he didn't care. He was content just getting to lie there and hold her this way. When he heard her breathing even out a few minutes later, he knew she had fallen asleep but he couldn't get himself to leave her side just yet. He wanted to hold her as long as he could, especially knowing that tomorrow at this hour, she would be hundreds of miles away. He pressed a kiss on the side of her head and felt himself drift off as well.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Months later_

"Okay so I spoke to Elena and she said she could meet us at the restaurant after she gets off work. Are you sure you don't want to ride with Stefan and I?" Bonnie was saying next to her but Caroline only heard bits of it.

She was doing her best to act enthusiastic about her birthday but truthfully she had woken up this morning feeling like something was missing. This was going to be the first year in a long time that she didn't celebrate it with Klaus, something that she didn't think would be hitting her this hard.

As she sat there half listening to Bonnie go through the plans for the evening, she tried not to give in to that nagging fear that this was the beginning of her and Klaus drifting apart. She knew it wasn't personal; he had called to say that he had business commitments that he could not get out of. He apologized and promised to make it up to her and while she understood, it didn't exactly make the whole thing any better.

Thankfully, she was distracted by the sound of her phone and picked it up to see that Stefan was calling to remind her about meeting him at the pumpkin patch. It didn't matter how old she got, she always enjoyed going to the pumpkin patch and could never express how happy she was that her birthday landed when it did. When she hung up, she noticed Bonnie eyeing her with a barely concealed smile.

"Now that's the energy I wanted to see out of you," Bonnie said as she stood up and extended her hand out to her. "Come on, we have to make you look princess material today since it's everyone's favorite day," she teased.

An hour later, Caroline said goodbye to Bonnie and drove to the pumpkin patch feeling a little bit more cheerful. Her friends were really putting in an effort to make her birthday as fun as possible and she had spoken to Klaus early that morning and had hung up with the promise that he would talk to her again later.

She saw a small swarm of people but didn't see Stefan anywhere and pulled out her phone to call him. She could hear the phone still ringing as she looked around some more and stopped and felt her breath catch as her heart started accelerating. A few steps away from her stood Klaus dressed in his usual dark grey Henley and dark jeans with his dimpled grin.

She momentarily forgot she had called Stefan until she heard him chuckle on the line.

"Your silence tells me you have more than likely spotted your birthday surprise," he said with a trace of laughter in his voice.

"Stef-wait you knew about this?" she exclaimed but couldn't keep the smile off her face, especially as she saw Klaus start walking toward her.

"Happy Birthday Care, have fun today," he said before he hung up.

She lowered her phone just as he reached her and wrapped his arms around her, slightly picking her up as he did. She instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, with the biggest smile on her face that would probably leave her muscles sore but she didn't care.

His smile mirrored her own as he set her back down on her feet but kept his arms wrapped around her waist tightly while she kept her arms wrapped around his neck and let her forehead rest against his, breathing in his warm scent that she had missed so much.

"Happy Birthday love," he said with a low chuckle as he pulled back enough to place a light kiss on her cheek and lingered for a few seconds, breathing in her flowery scent.

He felt a smile tug on his lips when he saw her cheeks redden slightly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice a mixture of surprise of excitement. "What about your business meetings?"

"I rescheduled the ones I could to be earlier in the week and Elijah is covering for me during today's meetings," he answered simply.

"You didn't have to go through all that trouble," she said feeling slightly guilty even though she was ecstatic about the fact that he was there.

"It's your birthday love and one of the few times I get to see you. I couldn't miss this," he answered with a dimpled grin as he tucked a curl behind her ear. "I would've been here earlier but I'm afraid I was tied up at meetings and couldn't catch a flight until this morning."

"I'm just happy you're here," she answered with a wide smile and couldn't resist the urge run her hand lightly over the stubble that covered his chin.

He smiled at her and took her hand in his as he finally released his hold around her waist.

"Shall we partake in one of your favorite traditions?" he asked as he motioned toward the entrance.

"We shall," she responded with a wink as she allowed him to take her arm in his.

She knew that going to the pumpkin patch wasn't exactly his thing but she appreciated the fact that he was there with her just because he knew how happy it made her. They talked and laughed as they walked around, engaging in their playful banter that was just not quite the same when done over the phone. Neither one said anything about the fact that they kept looking for excuses to touch the other even though they both knew what the other was doing.

She came to find that he had another plan set up for the day so after he helped her pick out a pumpkin, they headed out after he instructed her where to go. They took a walk by the falls before they ended up parking in the Town Square and walked around talking and laughing about old memories as well as shared some new things going on with the other. They ended up sitting down on one of the benches in the square and split a cannoli as he shared the latest adventures he had with his siblings and she couldn't help but stare at his smile that was incredibly contagious.

As she heard him talk about his new life and saw the smile on his face, another thought popped into her head and she felt her heart sink a little. He seemed to notice the slight change in her expression and the way she was studying him.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" he asked with a slightly arched eyebrow.

"Yeah I was just taking in everything you were saying, trying to picture it all in my head," she said with small smile. "You're really happy there aren't you?"

He looked at her with a confused expression for a moment, not really sure where she was going with this.

"The way you talk about your life there, it's obvious you're happy and I mean, why wouldn't you be? You have everything there," she continued with that small smile still in place despite the fact that part of her wanted to cry at the realization that he was probably never going to move back but as she heard him talk, she wasn't sure she would even want him to.

She wanted him to be back there with her more than anything she had wanted in a long time but she couldn't be selfish with him, not when she finally got to see him happy and doing what he loved.

"I don't have everything there love," he said in a low voice, keeping his gaze locked on hers. "I don't have you."

She felt her heart flutter at his words while her eyes remained glued to his and she searched them for any sign of teasing or deception but found none. Instead, she found sincerity and even vulnerability the last one being something that she did not see often. He was hardly vulnerable, even with her.

"Tell me something Caroline, where do you see yourself ten years from now?" he asked her in a low and serious voice. "Is it here?"

"You're making me feel like I'm at a job interview right now," she tried to tease as she looked away but stopped and turned back to him when she felt him place a hand over hers.

"I'm being serious Caroline," he continued. "Do you honestly see yourself settling down here for the rest of your life?"

"Complete with the white picket fence, dog and 2.5 kids," she joked as she desperately tried to make light of the situation.

"Is that really what you want?" he pressed, his gaze still fixed on hers.

"Klaus my entire life has been here in Mystic Falls, it's all I've ever known and I know it may not be for everyone but my friends and family are here and living here works for me," she answered with a small sigh.

"No offense love but it sounds like you're settling," he said and didn't seem fazed by the annoyed look that crossed her face. "Staying here is safe and comfortable and that's why you're so reluctant to leave but it won't be enough for you."

"What's wrong with safe and comfortable?" she retorted.

"Nothing but it's not for you," he said simply. "I've seen the way you come alive when your in a new place. You crave the adventure of the unknown, the challenge of having to figure things out on your own but you're too afraid to go after what you really want."

She opened her mouth to argue but found that nothing came out so she simply shook her head and scoffed.

"Klaus your life may be over there but my life is here and it sucks that you're so far away but I don't have any plans of leaving," she said in a quite voice after a moment. "My heart is here," she added even though part of her instantly protested the statement.

She saw something akin to disappointment and sadness cross his eyes but it disappeared as quickly as it came. She drew her attention back to the unfinished cannoli and left him to his thoughts.

He tried to hide his disappointment at her words and the pang in his chest at the thought that the girl he loved lived hundreds of miles away with no plans to move and he got to see her maybe two times out of the year but even that was starting to become difficult as evidenced by the fact that he almost didn't make it out to see her for this birthday.

He had yet to reveal to her how he really felt but part of him believed that deep down she knew; she had to. He had come to the realization shortly before he left and that was enough to make him reconsider leaving but he knew he had to. His life was waiting for him outside of Mystic Falls; he had known that since he had first moved there. Loving Caroline could be terrifying and difficult but it was also a gift he cherished. He enjoyed spending time with her and doing things like walking 22 blocks around the city with her because she insisted they weren't lost, to doing mundane things like sitting around watching television.

He held on to the hope that one day she would join him but every time he tried to sell her on the idea, he was always met with the same response, the same resistance and he was beginning to question if she would ever be ready to make that leap. Because of the distance between them, he had held off confessing his feelings to her, not sure what good could come of it but when he held her in his arms or saw her smile light up her face, it took just about everything in him to keep this to himself. When she would shoot his notion of moving away, he was reminded of why he did. Loving Caroline was hard sometimes but not loving her was impossible and so he would continue to wait until she was ready.

They took another walk around the town square before going to get ready to meet the others for dinner. He was staying with Stefan so she dropped him off at his house before heading home, his words replaying in her head the entire drive to her house and to the restaurant.

When she got to the restaurant, the familiar sight of her mother and all of her friends greeted her. She was happy to see that somebody had saved her seat next to Klaus who looked handsome in his white button-up and suit jacket. She felt her cheeks flush when she saw the way he was looking at her, like no other woman existed and she internally congratulated Bonnie for picking out that red lace dress that fit her body like a glove. After she had greeted everyone, she walked to take her seat and smiled when he moved to pull her chair out for her.

"You look positively ravishing in that dress sweetheart," he whispered into her ear as she took her seat and smiled when he noticed the way she sucked in her breath and the hint of color that appeared on her cheeks.

The rest of the night was spent talking and laughing and eventually dancing. Even though she did dance with Stefan, and Matt, she spent most of the time dancing with Klaus, something that she enjoyed more than she probably should. It was easy to forget that he would be leaving in less than a day when she was in his arms but she had to remind herself that that was the case. Almost like a fairytale that would end at midnight, time was working against her again and it was only a matter of time before he hopped on that plane and she had to wait months to see him again. With this last thought, she tightened her grip and moved to pull him in closer, wanting to hold him as close as possible for as long as possible. Something about the way he was holding her told her he was feeling the same way.

"I'm glad you're here," she said in a low voice that she knew only he would hear.

"Me too," he whispered against her ear causing an involuntary shiver to run through her.

She leaned back into him and rest her head against his chest and swayed along with him. She wasn't really hearing the music but it didn't matter to her. All she wanted was to hold him for as long as she could.

At the end of the night he drove her home and ended up sitting with her on her front porch talking for a while before he pulled out a small rectangular box from inside his coat pocket.

"Happy Birthday love," he said with a smile as he presented her the box.

She looked at him almost hesitantly.

"You didn't have to get me anything. You coming here was the best present I could have received from you," she said quickly but he ignored her and proceeded to place the box in her hands.

"The day you take your own advice we can talk," he responded with a smirk.

"Right because you would really stop getting presents simply because I didn't get you one?" she retorted with an arched eyebrow.

"Just open the box," he argued with an amused smile.

She glared at him playfully before opening the box and released a gasp as soon as she did. Inside was a beautiful white gold lapis lazuli necklace that matched the ring that had belonged to her grandmother and had been passed down to her. She opened her mouth but nothing came out and it was then that she heard him chuckle as he took the necklace out of the box.

"May I?" he asked with a dimpled grin as he held up the necklace.

She slowly turned, still dumbfounded by how perfectly necklace matched her ring. The stone had the exact same design around it and she couldn't help but wonder where he would have found such a perfect match?

She felt her heart speed up when she felt his warm fingers linger over the back of her neck before she felt him place a chaste kiss on the back of her neck before he moved her hair back into place.

She turned to face him and despite her best effort, she knew he could see the hint of color on her cheeks.

"It's beautiful," she said with a small smile as she absentmindedly brought up a hand to touch the necklace.

Before he had the chance to say anything, she leaned in to place a kiss on his cheek. Her sudden movement caught him by surprise and he moved slightly, causing the kiss to be placed on the corner of his lips.

The were both taken by surprise but not wanting to make things even more awkward, she decided to softly run her thumb over the corner of his lips and clean off the tiny bit of her lip gloss and act like everything was normal. She could feel his gaze on her the entire time and was startled when she felt him take her hand in his and place a soft and lingering kiss on the back of it.

"Thank you," she managed to whisper, hoping he knew that she wasn't just talking about the necklace.

"It's my pleasure love," he said with slight grin before releasing her hand almost reluctantly.

The two ended up retiring on her chaise sofa, talking into the late hours of the night. When he felt her breathing even out he knew she had fallen asleep and moved to pick her up and carry her to her bedroom but she was clutching onto his shirt tightly, refusing to let him move. He smiled at the fact that even in her sleep she was unwilling to let him go and placed a soft kiss on her temple before gently brushing the hair out of her face.

"Happy Birthday Caroline," he whispered gently as he continued to hold her dreading the moment when he would finally have to let her go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Months later_

Caroline lugged her suitcase behind her before turning to look at her mother and Stefan and waving goodbye to them one final time before she proceeded in the direction of the airport security line.

As she walked toward the line she took in a deep breath to steady her nerves and waited until she was done with security to pull out her phone to see she already had a message from her mother. She smiled at the fact as she took a seat and waited for them to announce her plane was boarding. She replayed the last conversation she had with Klaus when she dropped him off at the airport after her birthday.

"_There's so much waiting for you out there Caroline, myself included," he said in a low voice, his gaze penetrating into hers. "It doesn't matter to me how long it takes for you to be ready. I'll be here waiting to show you what the world has to offer. I guess I'm still clinging to that small chance that one day you'll show up at my door and say that you'll let me."_

That conversation and the one they had on the bench had replayed in her head for weeks. She kept hearing his voice in her head asking her what she wanted. She kept telling herself she didn't know what she wanted but the more she mulled over it she knew that was just an excuse she hid behind. She knew what she wanted and if she were being honest with herself, she would find that she had known for a long time she had just been too afraid to face it.

She found herself lining up to board the plane not too long after that and she felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter in anticipation. When she took her seat next to the window, she looked out of it the entire time the plane was ascending until she couldn't make out anything but trees and mountains. She let her head fall back against the seat and sucked in another breath before closing her eyes and letting her mind wander.

Hours later, she tipped the cab driver and lugged her heavy suitcase up the few steps and into the elevator feeling a mixture of fear and excitement the entire elevator ride up until she reached her floor. She found herself standing outside a familiar door but couldn't get herself to knock. Every time she lifted her hand, something stopped her and so she walked to the end of the hall and looked out the large window at the city below.

_Okay Caroline seriously? What is the big deal just say what you rehearsed the entire way here, what you've been rehearsing for weeks now! _

Ugh why wasn't this as easy as it looked in the movies? She contemplated leaving and trying again the next day but she hadn't made it more than a few steps toward the exit when she stopped in her tracks and looked back at the door, knowing who was just behind it.

That seemed to be all the courage she needed and before she could change her mind, she forced herself to walk toward the door and knocked loudly. _There's no going back now…_

Moments that felt like minutes later, the door opened and if she thought her heart was beating fast before, it didn't begin to compare to how it was now that she saw him standing there with a stunned look on his face that was quickly replaced with that dimpled smile she would kill for.

"Sweetheart I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow," he said as he quickly stepped forward to pull her into his arms. "When did you get in?"

She took a deep breath and stepped back and saw him look at her with a confused expression.

"Just please hear me out for a minute or two, you know me I can talk a little excessively when I'm nervous and just start rambling about the first thing that pops into my head; like I could literally stand here and talk to you about ponies or something-"

She stopped when she saw the wide smile on his face that clearly displayed his amusement with the situation and she realized she was rambling.

"Yeah, rambling sorry," she muttered sheepishly and released a soft sigh when she felt him tuck some strands of hair behind her ear and let his hand linger there.

"Why are you so nervous love?" he asked. "What's the matter?"

She found herself leaning in to his touch and almost missed what he said but his last question pulled her attention back to what she was there for.

"Klaus you are one of my best friends for some reason I can still not fathom," she teased and smiled when she saw him arch an eyebrow. "I miss you and have been desperately missing you since you left. I miss seeing you everyday and getting to hang out doing simple things like watching movies together and I even miss fighting with you and honestly, I'm tired of saying goodbye."

He looked at her with all traces of amusement gone paying very close attention to what she was saying and wondering where she was going with this.

"Getting to see you on our birthdays is my favorite present but it's also my hardest goodbye every time," she continued, her gaze fixed on his. "I thought it might get easier but it hasn't and I don't know that it ever will," she said with a small smile but he could see the emotion in her eyes.

He saw her take a step closer to him and he could swear that if she listened in close enough, she would be able to hear his heart thundering in his chest when she brought up her hand to cradle the side of his face.

"You asked me what I wanted on my birthday and I was scared to admit it then but I know what I want now," she said in a soft voice. "I think I've known for a while now, just too scared to admit it to myself."

"What are you saying love?" he asked with his gaze burning into hers.

"Mystic Falls will always be a part of me and a piece of my heart will always be there, especially while my mom and friends remain there, but I needed to stop pretending like that was the only place where my heart was," she answered a little sheepishly, color rising to her face once more. "So now I'm standing here at your doorstep trying not to make an ass out of myself as I tell you what I've been wanting to tell you for months now and all the while wondering what you're thinking so can you please help me ease my mind and tell me what you're thinking?" she asked as she nervously fidgeted with her sleeves until she felt him cup her face with his hands and made her look at him again.

Before she got to say anything else, she felt him close the small distance between them and press his lips against hers, soft and tentative at first before he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in closer, deepening the kiss when he felt the tip of her tongue trace over his bottom lip. He wasn't telling her how he felt; he was showing her.

He had imagined kissing her many times in the past but none of them compared to the actual thing; her sweet taste being beyond what he could ever imagine on his own. He explored every inch, every crevice of her mouth while she did the same and soon enough he felt her fingers running and lightly tugging at his curls while she wrapped her other hand around his necklaces and pulled him in closer.

After a few moments, he forced himself to break the kiss as they both took in small and panted breaths. He stared deep into her eyes and she did the same, feeling like she could get lost in all the different emotions she saw in them but there was one that was prominent.

"Happy early birthday Klaus," she whispered against his lips.

"It is indeed," he answered with a smirk before tightening his hold around her waist and tugging her inside his apartment laughing along with her and shutting the door behind him before she pressed her lips against his once more.

There would be time for talking and figuring things out later. At that moment, both were all too ready to make up for all the lost time, all too ready to relish in the bliss and perfection of that moment.

It was a happy early birthday indeed.


	2. Always

Caroline walks into his room and sees her best friend and the love of her life lying in bed, his face pale and even from where she is standing, she can hear him struggling for breath.

She immediately feels the tears well up as a heavy feeling settles on her heart; her heavy heart that seems to be beating even more slowly but as she sees the man the she loves lying in that bed, she's surprised that it's beating at all.

_I can't do this_ she panics. She doesn't want him to see her upset like this but before she even has the opportunity to move, he slowly opens his eyes with what appears to be a great deal of effort. The way his face still manages to light up with a smile as soon as he sees feels like another blow to her heart.

They had their ups and downs just like any other relationship but there was one thing that nobody could ever deny: they were crazy about each other even when they drove each other crazy.

"Hello sweetheart," he says in a low and labored voice.

He sees the tears in her eyes and reaches out for her and she all too willingly rushes over to take his hand. She doesn't let go and intertwines her fingers with his, bringing it up to press a kiss on the back of his hand. She feels the first tear fall when she notices that his hands feel colder than they normally do and when she feels him bring up his other hand to tuck some loose strands behind her ear and cup the side of her face.

"It's alright love, it's alright," he says soothingly in that accented voice that she craved hearing everyday.

She doesn't say anything and merely shakes her head furiously, refusing to let go of his hand wrapped between hers and refusing to look at him. She can't bring herself to do it without losing it completely and having a complete breakdown in front of him.

It's not like she hasn't broken down in front of him in the past but this time would be different and she can't do it. She fears if she allows herself to give in, she'll never be able to stop the tears and she can't do that now; not in front of him.

"Look at me sweetheart," he says gently, lightly stroking the side of her face with his thumb.

She sucks in a breath and closes her eyes to keep the tears from falling.

"Caroline look at me," he says again firmly, bringing his hand to gently lift her chin up.

She forces herself to slowly open her eyes and barely manages to make out his features through her tears as the second tear runs down her face followed closely by a third and soon she loses count when she feels him lean in and begin to press light kisses against her cheeks, trying to capture every tear with his lips before pulling back and cupping both sides of her face. He leans in and captures her lips in a gentle yet passionate kiss that makes her heart both swell and feel like it is breaking at the same time.

She wraps one hand around his neck and caresses the side of his face with the other, while uses his strength to pull her in closer, feeling like he would never be able to hold her close enough. He wants nothing more than to keep kissing her but his already weak lungs demand a break to catch some air so he forces himself to break away and rests his forehead against hers, struggling to get some air while simultaneously trying to breathe in her intoxicating lavender scent.

"How are you feeling?" she asks and he can hear the concern in her voice.

"I'm alright love," he sighs and tries to smile and make some innuendo but his body betrays him and he begins coughing and wheezing instead.

He can't really see her but he feels her immediately jump into action and try to help him the way she had been doing for months now. He feels her warm touch on his back and he leans into it, sighing when he feels her help him lay back against the propped pillows.

"I'm going to go get a nurse," she says as she quickly stands up but he quickly grabs her hand with his to stop her.

"There's no need love just stay here with me," he says with slow and panted breaths.

She looks at him warily and he can see that she's unconvinced so he tugs on her hand to pull her closer to him.

"I don't need a nurse, I just want to spend some time with you," he says in a low voice that makes her heart ache that much more.

She silently nods her head slowly and watches as he slowly adjusts his position to make room for her in the tiny bed.

"Klaus what are you doing?" she instantly protests as she tries to stop him. "You need to be comfortable-"

"If I recall correctly we managed to make it work in a bed about this size all through your college dorm years, granted we were partaking in much more enjoyable activities," he says in a labored voice but with that dimpled grin that makes her fall even more in love with him.

She feels a smile tug on her lips that doesn't quite reach her eyes when she sees him pat the now open space next to him with that adorable grin still in place. She shakes her head with a small sigh before carefully lying down next to him, trying to take up as little space as possible but he seems to know how to fix this space problem as he tugs her closer until her head is resting on his chest and her leg is tangled with his, his arm wrapped around her waist.

She breathes in his scent and feels his heartbeat against her ear and for just a moment, she can pretend that this is just like any other day at home for them.

"Rebekah came by earlier," he comments after a moment of lying there in silence.

A moment that she knew he needed to regain his breath. Even now she can hear it is still labored but at least it's steadier.

"She dropped off a present," he continues and points to the chair behind her.

She turns around and finally notices a deep blue gift bag and reaches over to pull out what appears to be a medium-sized photo album. She opens it to reveal a colorful cover page with the words "Our Journey to the Altar" typed across the top with individual pictures of her and Klaus underneath.

"Have you looked at this?" she asks as she brings up her gaze to meet his.

He shakes his head and tugs her close to him again, feeling like there was too much space between them. She settles her head against his shoulder and he rests his head on top of hers and the two flip through the book together, chuckling and making comments about some of the photos that range from the time they were dating, to their engagement pictures and their time being engaged, and finally, pictures of their actual wedding day.

Rebekah had created a theme for each page and had put such intricate detail into every page that Caroline felt her chest tighten at the thought that her sister-in-law had taken such care and time into every detail; that it mattered that much to her.

Going through it with Klaus was bittersweet as she relived what felt like a thousand different memories with every page she turned to. She wasn't even aware of the tears that had formed in her eyes until she saw one land on one of the pages and felt Klaus immediately rub her arm soothingly and kiss the top of her head.

"That one is my favorite," he says as he points to one of the pictures on the page.

It was a candid photo taken of them at their rehearsal dinner where she has her arms wrapped around his neck and he's cradling her face and looking at her with such love it brings tears to her eyes.

She knew why it was his favorite because as soon as she saw it, she remembered that night and what had taken place just before this picture was taken. He had asked her to join him for a walk after the dinner while their families and wedding party were distracted. The two needed some space from the rest of the group after the disaster that the day had been and the stressful week. The two snuck off to the botanical gardens that were part of the restaurant and overlooked the ocean.

_He had stopped her when they reached the end of the gardens and turned to face her with a smile that was both nervous and excited and she could see a million different emotions crossing his eyes all at once._

"_Do you know that since the moment I laid eyes on you I was captivated and tried so hard to remain acting natural?" he asked with his infamous smirk. "If you ever repeat this I'll deny it but since I met you, there have been so many times I felt like an inexperienced teenage boy trying to woo a girl for the first time."_

_She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck while he instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist to draw her in closer._

"_Is that so?" she asked with a playful smirk._

_He responded with a kiss that felt like it ended as soon as it began._

"_I will never understand why you picked me but I will spend the rest of my days trying to prove to you that you did not make a mistake," he said in a low voice, his gaze fixed on hers so that she could see the honesty in them._

"_You don't have anything to prove," she responded softly as she brought down a hand to cup the side of his face. "I love you even when I don't like you. I know who you are and that's the man I choose to spend the rest of my life and build a home with. I may not have realized it at first, but since the moment I met you, it was always you and it's always going to be you."_

"_I sat down for hours trying to think of the best way to say this, to find the right words that could convey just how important you are to me," he said in a low voice. "Just when I think I've figured you out and know all there is to know about you, you turn around and surprise me and somehow make me love you more. I love you more than I ever thought possible and I promise you come hell or high water, I will be by your side always, protecting you, loving you, and growing with you."_

_She looked at him with the tears in her eyes and a blinding smile illuminating her face._

"_I think you did a damn find job of finding the right words," she whispered against his lips before closing that small distance between them._

Caroline still remembers that day because in some ways, those were their secret vows that they got to share with each other; a secret that belonged to them alone. In a way, she always felt like that was the start of their new chapter together.

Kol and Rebekah had gone off to look to for them and had captured this picture right after.

She looks up at him with the tears in her eyes and gives him a small smile.

"It's my favorite too," she says.

He starts to cough and pant for breath again and she does what she can to soothe him. The cough attacks keep getting worst as his body grows weaker. She tries not to think about what this means; she refuses to but as she sees him in that moment, she knows she's not going to have this luxury much longer.

It isn't fair. None of it is fair. She's only had two years with him since they exchanged their vows; since they made those promises to love each other and grow old with each other. They're supposed to get into fights and then fuck on every surface until they can't move. They're supposed to explore places together and try new things. She hasn't even gotten him to watch "The Notebook" with her yet! She thought she had time; she was supposed to have more time. This can't be how their story ends. She refuses to believe that everything they went through, all the battles they had to face to be together, that this is how things will end. When they exchanged those vows she thought they had a lifetime together, not two short years.

He finally stops coughing and leans back against the pillows, the exhaustion written all over his face.

She moves to get up and get the nurse but he keeps his hold on her and refuses to let her go.

"Klaus-"

"Stay Caroline," he says in a low voice that's barely a whisper. "Stay with me."

She looks at him through the tears in her eyes and feels her heart shatter when she sees him slowly open his eyes and look at her with such sadness and exhaustion. After fighting this disease for more than a year, his body is finally ready to give in and this thought is more than she can bear.

"Please," he whispers.

She leans back and curls into him like she's done so many times before and a small sob escapes her because somehow she knows this will be the last time she gets do this.

"It's okay sweetheart," he whispers as he tightens his hold on her.

"It's not okay Klaus none of it is okay," she sobs against his warm chest, her small frame beginning to shake with the broken sobs escaping her.

He continues to hold her and rub her arm soothingly as he continues to whisper over and over in her ear "It's going to be okay love I promise."

She tightens her grip around his waist, desperately clinging to him and never wanting to let him go as her tears soak through his hospital gown.

"We were supposed to have a lifetime," she whispers between a broken sob.

"I know this isn't the life we signed up for but I wouldn't trade anything about the life we lived together, short as it may have been," he says in a tight and labored voice. "I love you Caroline and I know that an entire lifetime wouldn't have been enough time to love you so I'm thankful for the time that I did have and I can die a happy man knowing that I got to love you and more importantly, that I got you to love me in return."

She tries to bury her face deeper into him when she feels him take her chin with his thumb and forefingers and tilt her face up to meet his gaze. She looks into those blue eyes that's committed to memory and feels a new wave of tears form when she sees him looking at her with the love radiating from his eyes; the same way he looked at her when he proposed to her and when they exchanged their vows. He was looking at her with a look that promised her he would always love her.

"I would give anything to have more days with you and to take you to all those places I promised and while my time is running out, you still have your whole life ahead of you sweetheart and I need you to promise me that you're going to live it and not feel guilty about moving on."

"Klaus don't-"

"I know it hurts now love but there's going to come a day when you won't hurt as much anymore and the day when you'll have the desire to travel and you'll have new dreams you'll want to fulfill and when that day comes, I want you to be okay with it," he says in a choked voice, the tears welling in his eyes. "I want you to live the life you always dreamed of Caroline, even if I don't get to be a part of it."

"Don't you dare start talking about falling in love again because I will kill you right here and right now do you hear me?" she says through tears.

He smiles but it comes out weak as his body begins to give in to the exhaustion. He gently caresses her face and wipes away some of the tears.

"You'll know when you're ready for that step love."

She can barely see him through the tears in her eyes as she leans in and places a soft but ardent kiss against his lips that he quickly deepens allowing her access to explore every inch, every crevice of his mouth while he does the same. It's a kiss that's filled with all of their love pouring into it, all of their unspoken desires, all of their unfulfilled dreams and when they're forced to pull apart, tears are streaming down both of their faces.

She wipes away some of the tears with her thumbs and lips before resting her forehead against his and shutting her eyes as another broken sob escapes her body.

"I'll always love you," she whispers. "In this lifetime and the next. Always."

He presses a soft and gentle kiss against her forehead.

"Loving you is the best thing that happened to me," he whispers with his gaze glued to hers. "I'll always love you."

He holds her as she curls into him and eventually, she finally stops crying. She can feel his breathing grow more shallow and she looks up to see him and somehow she knows it's almost time. She instinctively tightens her grip around his waist and he does the same. She intertwines their free hands together. His eyes are closed but she knows he's awake.

"Will you wait for me?" she asks in a soft voice that's barely a whisper.

He doesn't immediately but instead brushes her wedding ring with his thumb gently.

"Always," he whispers.

She curls back into him and the two hold each other without saying another word. She holds him as he falls asleep and she continues holding him until his body finally succumbs and gives in to the disease.

One of the nurses finally peels her away from him and then she finds Elijah holding her. She buries her face into her brother-in-law's chest and clings to him as he carries her out of the room.

She had known this moment was coming but even all the time in world wouldn't have been enough to prepare her for this instant. The moment where she felt like the world was ripped out from under her.

She thinks about their last conversation and what he told her he wanted for her. She would laugh again one day and pick up new dreams while fulfilling some of the dreams they had shared together; she could promise him that but not today.

She looks down at her wedding ring and can almost feel his warm and calloused fingers gently brushing against it as fresh tears roll down her face. She keeps looking down at her ring and repeats the one promise that would always hold true for her.

"I'll love you always."

* * *

**This was an anonymous request, hope it somewhat met your expectations & sorry for any errors! **

**MNM-you requested a historical drabble. Did you have anything in particular you wanted me to write about?**

**I am slowly working on everyone's requests, thank you so much for trusting me to write your prompts & for your patience! To the Guest who requested a part 2 to the last birthday one-shot, I am trying to cook something up :) Thank you so much to everyone who has also taken the time to review & to follow & favorite this story! If anybody else has any requests, feel free to place them here or through my tumblr: missingstars89. **


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